Rearview of business airliner cabin with passengers. Interior of airplane with people sitting on seats. (iStock)
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Travel now means your tickets, maps, hotel, rental automobile, and more are all stored in your phone. But what happens if that goes missing? Here’s methods to find your phone when it’s lost — even when the battery is dead.
The opposite big phone emergency? Your battery is dying, and you’ve gotten to depart for the airport. Whoops. Tap or click for smart ways to get more life out of your battery.
Travel might be stressful, but these hacks could make an enormous difference.
1. Keep a (digital) eye in your stuff
Digital trackers assist you to keep watch over your valuables and find them should you lose anything. I put an Apple AirTag on my dog’s collar, my key chains, my bike, and in my cars. Listed below are 10 clever ways you need to use an AirTag.
AirTags use signals from other iPhones to find out where they’re situated. Using the Find My app, you possibly can see the placement of each AirTag associated along with your account. It’s idea to throw one in your checked baggage. This manner, you possibly can see whether your bag makes it to your destination.
However the AirTag shall be worthless when your luggage goes through the airport’s inner conveyor belt system. There typically aren’t enough iPhones nearby for the AirTag to work. But once your luggage is out of there, you will know exactly where it’s situated.
Wish to grab a couple of now whilst you’re serious about it?
- Apple’s AirTags are ideal if you’ve gotten an iPhone, Mac, or iPad.
- The Tile 2-pack is Android compatible, and has a tracker in your luggage and one to slip into your wallet.
THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT: 10 best travel apps to plan your next adventure
2. Track flights the simple way
Here’s a handy iPhone trick if you’ve gotten a member of the family or friend picking you up from the airport. Send a text with the airline you’re flying and your flight number, equivalent to “Southwest Airlines 1175.”
The person can tap on the message to open a flight tracker. They will see the flight’s progress and estimated arrival time without trying to find the flight online or on a tracking site. Easy!
In case your ride uses an Android, they will do an online seek for the airline and flight number to see the identical info.
This travel hack is great! Uber has a recent option to have a automobile waiting for you if you land. Your Uber driver will track your flight. Here’s my 60-second tip about how it really works.
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Travellers stand in front of an information board at BER Airport in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. Germany’s incoming transport minister is advising people against traveling over Christmas because the country tries to stem a wave of coronavirus infections. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)
3. Get these photos in your phone
There are essential photos I actually have on my phone. Worst case scenario, you lose your wallet. It would be quite a bit smoother getting home if you’ve gotten photos of your essential documents.
Make sure to include your license, passport and medical insurance card at a minimum.
The simplest option to do this on an iPhone is to make use of the handy document scanner built into the native Notes app.
- Open the Notes app. Create a recent note by clicking the icon that appears like a square with a pen situated at the underside right of the screen. Tap the camera icon at the underside of your recent note and choose Scan Documents.
On an Android, snap some photos and mark them as favorites in your picture gallery or use the scan feature in Google Drive:
- Open the Google Drive app. Tap the plus button in the underside right corner.
- Tap Scan and permit access to your camera if you’ve gotten not already. Follow the on-screen prompts to take and save your photos.
Pro Tip: I also recommend saving your identifying documents as PDF files and saving a duplicate to your iOS Books, Android e-book app and even sending to your Kindle. This manner, you possibly can access them offline. You may also wish to send a duplicate to your travel partner.
SMART STEP: Take my advice and upload these 9 photos it is best to all the time have in your phone at your fingertips. You’ll thank me later!
flight to exotic travel destination
(iStock)
4. Check your rental for hidden spy cameras
It’s happened to me. I rented a house, settled in, and realized what number of cameras were watching me. It was very unsettling.
Should you rent through Airbnb, cameras are allowed in public spaces and customary spaces but not in bathrooms or bedrooms. They can not be hidden and should be disclosed within the listing descriptions. VRBO forbids indoor cameras altogether, though outdoor cameras are permitted for “reasonable monitoring.”
Larger cameras are easy to identify, but anyone can easily hide smaller cameras behind furniture, vents, or decorations. Then there are the hidden cameras that may masquerade as every kind of things, from a Roku to an outlet extender. Seriously, you will be shocked if you see this stuff.
A straightforward option to spot most varieties of cameras is to search for the lens reflection. Turn off the lights and slowly scan the room with a flashlight or laser pointer, searching for shiny reflections. Scan the room from multiple spots, so you do not miss a camera pointed only at certain places. Inspect the vents, too, and any holes or gaps within the partitions or ceilings.
You can even get an RF detector. This gadget can pick up wireless cameras you would possibly not see.
Should you can connect with the rental’s wireless network, a free program like Wireless Network Watcher shows what gadgets are connected. You would possibly give you the option to identify connected cameras. Just remember that the owner might need put the cameras on a second network, or they might be wired or record-only types.
Should you find an indoor surveillance camera that was not disclosed to you, pick up the phone and call the police. Tell them you’ve gotten direct evidence that your landlord is spying on you inside your rental home without your knowledge or permission. Use this exact phrase.
Document the situation with video and photos in your smartphone. Once you’ve gotten your police report, contact the rental site.
5. Find the comfiest seat
Should you’re tall, you realize how necessary a couple of extra inches of legroom are on a flight. It might probably be the difference between being cozy or cramped for hours.
Google Flights is an awesome option to find the most cost effective flight, but you are taking an additional step to search out probably the most comfortable seat.
- Get the Chrome browser extension called Legroom for Google Flights. When using Google Flights, you will also see how much legroom per seat per flight you chose.
- One other solid option is SeatGuru.com. Enter your airline and flight number, and also you’ll see a map of the very best seats with probably the most legroom, no download required.
Bonus Tip: Bulletproof headphones, credit report change, recent Zoom trick
Have you ever tried one in all those “buy now, pay later” services? A lot of shoppers love this setup — but now it’ll show up in your credit report. Speaking of shopping, you possibly can buy a vertical mouse or life-saving headphones. (Yep: one gamer’s headphones saved him from a stray bullet.) On this episode, I’ll share AirTag news in addition to a cool recent Zoom trick that permits you to speak along with your hands.
Try my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.
Take heed to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just seek for my last name, “Komando.”
What digital lifestyle questions do you’ve gotten? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to search out it in your local radio station. You’ll be able to hearken to or watch The Kim Komando Show in your phone, tablet, television, or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts.
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Find out about all the most recent technology on The Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her day by day suggestions, free newsletters, and more, visit her website at Komando.com.
